Liquid explosive consisting of a nitroparaffin and n-dodecane



Patented July 10, 1951 LIQUID EXPLOSIVE CONSISTING OF A NITROPARAFFINAND N-DODECANE John A. Hannum, Detroit, Mich., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois No Drawing. Application February 14, 1947,Serial No. 728,712

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an explosive that is characterized by itsgreat resistance to detona- I tion by mechanical shock and by itssensitivity to detonation when subjected to explosive shock.

More particularly it relates to a powerful. explosive that is especiallywell adapted for military use and that is relatively safe to handle.

Perhaps the most powerful and brisant chemical explosive now known is astoichiometric mixture of toluene, CeHsCI-Ia,.and tetram'tromethane,C(NOz) abut the practical value of such a mixture is limited by theextreme caution with which it must be handled and by the sometimesunpredictable way in which it explodes prematurely because it isextremely sensitive to mechanical shock and any slight jar will cause itto detonate.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide anexplosive of approximately the same power as a toluene-tetranitromethanemixture but one that is much safer to handle and that is highlyresistant to detonation when subjected to mechanical impact. A furtherobject is to provide an explosive that is very sensitive to explosiveshock and that may be detonated readily by a blasting cap or likedetonator. Another object is to provide a powerful explosive that iswell suited for military purposes and that may be handled and storedwith a maximum of safety. An additional object is to provide anexplosive with the characteristics indicated that is relatively simpleand inexpensive to make.

An explosive in accord with this invention and one that meets itsobjects may be made by mixing tetranitromethane C(NO2)4 orhexanitroethane C2(N'O2)s and one or more of those parafiin hydrocarbonswith the formula CnH2n+2 preferably in stoichiometric proportions.

The range in percentage of either tetranitromethane of hexanitroethanerequired to make up an approximately stoichiometric mixture with ahydrocarbon of the above formula is narrow. For example when methane,the first member of the series, is used 89.09 per cent by weight of thewhole should be tetranitromethane to make a stoichiometric mixture. nthe other hand with the nth or highest possible member of the series,calculation shows that 87.5 per cent by weight of tetranitromethane isrequired in a stoichiometriq mixture. For stoichiometric mixtures all ofthe intermediate members of the series require percentages oftetranitromethane that lie between the two values just given. In eachcase the balance of the explosive is made up of hydrocarbons with theformula Chi-lawn.

Preferably I employ n-octane or n-dodecane from this series.

As a result of the data given above a satisfactory and approximatelystoichiometric-mixture of tetranitromethane and one or more parafiinhydrocarbons with the formula CnHzn+z will lie within the followingrange:

Per cent by weight CnH2n+2 13-10 Tetranitromethane 87-90 I have foundthat somewhat greater latitude in percentages will produce an explosivewith the tabulation above. sider mixtures falling Within the followingrange to lie within the scope of the present invention:

Per cent by weight C1LH21L+2 40-10 Tetranitromethane -90 Whenhexanitroethane is used instead of tetranitromethane the percentageranges given above for the latter apply also to the former. The amountof either required for a stoichiometric mixture is substantially thesame.

The resistance to mechanical impact of an explosive prepared inaccord-With this invention is illustrated by the following data. Amixture of .161 cc. consisting of equal volumes of tetranitromethane andtoluene was exploded with a threshold mechanical impact energy of .57foot pound when placed in a closed circular chamber one-half inch indiameter and exposed to the impact across one end. Under the sameconditions an explosive composed of equal volumes of tetranitromethaneand n-octane required a threshold impact energy in excess of 52 footpounds, or approximately times as much.

The explosive power and the sensitivity to explosive impact of areference mixture of toluene-tetranitromethane compared with mixturesembodying the present invention illustrates substantial similaritybetween them. The results of the data are given below in terms of gramsof sand pulverized by explosion to finer than 50 mesh when .066 cc. ofthe various explosive mixtures are detonated by blasting cap charges ofvarious weights in fractions of a gram. This information is summarizedin the table below in which the column at the extreme left indicates theweight in fractions of a gram of each standard explosive cap charge usedin the various tests. The column next to it indicates the number ofgrams of sand pulverized to 50 mesh fineness as a result of theexplosion by these various charges of substantially stoichiometricmixtures of .066 cc. of tetranitromethane and toluene comprising 23percent by volume of toluene and 77 per cent by volume of tetranitrmmethane.

The three columns at the right labeled A, B-

and C express the grams of sand pulverized to the same fineness by theexplosion of .066 cc'. of a n-octane-tetranitromethane orn-dodecaiietetranitromethane mixture in the volumetric proportionsindicated at the top of each column. The same amount of sand of the'same initial mesh was used in each of the test explosions and all theexplosions were made under the sameconditions. While there is somedisparity in the figures it will be evident from the similar amounts ofsand pulverized that the paraffin hydrocarbon-tetranitromethane mixturespossess explosive properties very similar to those of the very powerfultetranitromethane toluene mixture when the two are subjected toidentical explosive shocks.

Blasting Cap .23 Toluene, Charge, in Grams .77 'INM 3 nOctane, .214n-Do- 21100133 805118 i .7 'lNM 7B TNM .s TNM s. 34 '7. 37 a. 74 9. 928.39 9.88 4. 3s 1: 36 9. 11. 9s 3. 47 10. 94 10. 25 11. 90 9.08 9. 529.- 58 8.79 t. 14 10. 84 7. 12 9.82 4. 45 9. 05 s. 24 s. 79 6. 43

Preferred forms of explosive embodying the present invention are eitherapproximately stoichiometric mixtures of tetranitromethane and n-octane(M. P.,-56.90; B. R, 125.6 C.), or tetranitromethane and n-dodecane (M.P.,97; B. P., 216.2 0.). It will be evident thatone or more parafiinhydrocarbons of the series CnH2n+2 may be used in an explosive, as forinstance tetranitromethane and both normalootane and normal dodecane, tomake up approximately' a stoichiometric mixture. In the presentapplication a stoichiometr'ic mixture is one" 4 that results in areaction whose end products are water, carbon dioxide and free nitrogen.

The explosive described above is very powerful, highly resistant tomechanical shock, sensitive to explosive shock and is best suited foruse as a high explosive for military and related uses.

An explosive liquid mixture detonatable by means of ablasting capconsisting of between 13 and 10 percentby Weight of n-dodecane andbetween 87 and 90 percent by weight of .a compound selected from thegroup consisting of tetranitromethane and hexar'iitroethane, the mixturebeing sensitive to explosive shock, resistant to mechanical shock, andadapted for use as a high explosive for military purposes.

JOHN A. HANNUM.

REFERENCES CITED The following" references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,597,343 Chandler Aug. 24, 19261,820,983 Loomis' Sept. 1, 1931 2,185,157 Nygaard' et a1 Dec. 26, 19392,355,817 Morrow s1 Aug. 15, 1944 PATENTS Number Country Date 248,548Germany 1 June 25, 1912 277,594 Germany 1 Aug. 20, 1914 281,906 Germany11=--- Feb. 5, 1915 26,261 Great Britain 1 1907 24,839 Great Britain1913 OTHER REFERENCES Lemken, Bulletin of the American InterplanetarySociety, article No. 16, February, 1932, pages 8 through 10. I

Roth, Spreng'stoifeigenschaften, Z. Ges. Schies's Und Sprengstoffiv,volume 36, No. 1 (1941), ages- 4 through 6.

Grus'e et "a1.-,- Chemical Technology of Petraleum, published in 1942,by McGraw Hill Corn-J pany, New Yjork City (p.66).

ComptesfiIendu's, volume 218, May 1, 1944, pages 718-720.

